Global Footprint Network Supports the Natural Capital Declaration

Global Footprint Network supports the Natural Capital Declaration, a commitment made by CEOs from the finance sector to integrate natural capital accounting into their financial products and services.

Global Footprint Network is committed to creating a world where everyone can live well within the means of one planet. It is going to take all of us pulling together toward this common goal. We recognize the need to push the frontiers beyond business-as-usual and to explore more integrated approaches to finance. As financial institutions are an integral part of the economy and society, initiatives like the Natural Capital Declaration are important to help lead the way.

The commitment was signed in June at the Rio+20 Summit by chief executives of 39 banks, investment funds and insurance companies. Signatories include major institutions such as National Australia Bank, Rabobank Group, Calvert Investments, Pax World Management and China Merchants Bank. Read the full Declaration.

Instead of being optional externalities, natural assets and ecosystem services are incorporated as a key factors in business decision-making and risk analysis.

Global Footprint Network is also working with leading financial institutions to investigate the links between ecological and financial risks at the country level, and to introduce more ecologically informed risk analysis into the market. See our Footprint for Finance page for more information.

This fall, Global Footprint Network, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and leading financial institutions, will launch a groundbreaking report on natural resource accounting in strengthening risk models for government bonds. See our Environmental Risk in Sovereign Credits (E-RISC) page for more information.